Duncan Hickey sentenced to 3 years prison for Elevations bank robbery

A 24-year-old Boulder man who pleaded guilty to robbing an Elevations Credit Union branch in February was sentenced to three years in prison Friday.

Duncan Hickey pleaded guilty to robbery -- a Class 4 felony -- in September, a charge that carries a presumptive range of two to six years in prison.

Boulder District Judge Thomas Mulvahill also gave Hickey identical three-year sentences on check fraud and theft charges that were still pending, but Hickey will serve the sentences concurrently.

While Clifford Barnard, Hickey's attorney, said the crimes were a result of Hickey's heroin addiction and asked Mulvahill to sentence him to probation, Deputy District Attorney Fred Johnson said the bank robbery warranted prison time.

"It if was just the check fraud and theft we might have gone with probation," Johnson said. "But when it escalates to bank robbery, a sentence to the Department of Corrections is necessary."

Mulvahill said that while Hickey made strides toward sobriety while in the Boulder County Jail, he agreed a prison sentence was necessary.

"I see far too many people your age get caught up in this... but it's rare one of them resorts to robbing a bank," Mulvahill said. "I can't in good conscience put you right away into an integrated treatment program."

Hickey was charged Aug. 15 after a Boulder County grand jury indicted him for the Feb. 25 robbery of the credit union at 611 Broadway.

A teller told police Hickey walked into the bank that morning and demanded money. He never showed a weapon, and no one was hurt.

One of the stacks of money had a GPS tracking device in it, and police followed Hickey -- who was driving at rates faster than 90 mph -- on U.S. 36 toward Denver, but he tossed the GPS device out the window before police could catch up with the car. He then spent the rest of the money, police said.

A surveillance photo released to the public drew tips from six people who identified him.

Hickey told Mulvahill he feels he has made strides toward dealing with his drug issues and hopes to one day also counsel people dealing with addiction.

"I can't change the past, but I can learn from past," he said. "I will be a responsible and contributing member of society."

Mulvahill did say he mitigated the prison sentence in light of Hickey's efforts to shake his addiction problems.

"I do appreciate you are doing this all while you're in custody," he said. "I do believe you want further treatment options, and I think you like yourself better when you are clean and sober."

Boulder is pretty good at producing rock bands, and by "rock," we mean the in-your-face, guitar-heavy, leather-clad variety — you know, the good kind. For a prime example, look no farther than BANDITS. Full Story